Hate Water Changes? Poor mans solution.

[redspot321]

This is not one of them "turn knob" quick water change Ideas that some of you serious guys have but it has helped me in the effort to provide quality H2O to my creatures! This is my bucketless system.


I plumbed my RO/DI through the attic an down the wall. So I can mix saltwater next to the tank.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v683/redspot321/a57a1323.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v683/redspot321/f6a48ead.jpg

I have a line on the side of the tank which marks 20%. I simply siphon the water down to this line with a garden hose, NO BUCKETS :D After Water is drained I kick on the RIO HF 17 (1190 gallons/hr) an the tank is filled in no time at all.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v683/redspot321/5d785eca.jpg

This system saves me 10 trips to the garage with FULL 5 gallon buckets and lifting the buckets to the top of the tank.

Thats all, just thought I would share. Cost me $7 bucks in tubing.

[jdieck]

Now just add a heater and an air pump with an airstone to the mixing tank and turn them on one hour before the change and you will have an equalized temperature and well aereated and buffer stabilized high ORP fresh salt water for your change.

[Frick-n-Frags]

People carry water around in buckets???? :D

[redspot321]

yea, yea, yea.......I konw people are laughing at me. hea, Im excited!!!! plus i needed to find a reason to break out my new camera!

[slickchick]

Very cool!

[Nathan]

Does your water pick up any contaminants from travelling that distance in the pipe?

I could have sworn I saw a post somewhere about contamination of RO/DI water when it has to travel that far...

I too am getting super tired of carrying buckets too! What a major PITA! Your idea sure does sound appealing!

-Nathan

PS Is your RO/DI unit affected by head pressure?

[xtrstangx]

My RO/DI has about 4-5 feet of vertical distance that it travels, but it goes through about 15 feet of food-grade tube (coiled up on the ground). It still puts about 75 GPD which is what it is rated for. I don't think there is much loss in flow.

[BradL.]

Why not run the line with saltwater to the tank instead of having a 55 galon drum in the living room?

[justletmein]

Originally posted by Nathan
Does your water pick up any contaminants from travelling that distance in the pipe?

I could have sworn I saw a post somewhere about contamination of RO/DI water when it has to travel that far...


I sure hope not. I run my RO/DI through the wall into the garage where my elevated reservior is, then run it all the way back into another room into my sump closet to the float switch. I'd say a total of about 40 feet of tubing.

[Gawain1974]

Originally posted by BradL.
Why not run the line with saltwater to the tank instead of having a 55 galon drum in the living room?

I was wondering the same thing. ;) Of course, anything's gotta be better than lugging around those buckets!

[deansreef]

nice idea

[redspot321]

Originally posted by BradL.
Why not run the line with saltwater to the tank instead of having a 55 galon drum in the living room?

The ro/di tubing is 3/8 in diameter and is 50 Ft long! smaller holes, less money, no hose to role up, water is able to reach room temp before change (no heater or chiller garages in fl get HOT), bucket is large enough so a mess is not made, etc..



Just better for me.

[slickchick]

You don't have to have the drum there all the time anyway. Just when you are doing water changes so it's not a big deal...I always have to clean up around my tank before company comes. I usually have fish buckets , etc. all over the place.

[niko5]

Originally posted by slickchick
You don't have to have the drum there all the time anyway. Just when you are doing water changes so it's not a big deal...I always have to clean up around my tank before company comes. I usually have fish buckets , etc. all over the place.

Whew!, atleast I'm not the only one :)

Great water change setup defiantly better than buckets, but I think ill stay with my valves, one valve to drain one valve puts new water back in.

[FishMaster1000]

Guys im wondering since im looking to get into saltwater and got sick of the bucekt lifting with freshwater i bought a python siphon.. Well anyway for saltwater i can just siphon the water out into the sink with the python.. But im obviously going to have to mix the ro water and do not want to have to lift buckets.. So my question is will a 330gph powerhead be enough to get water from buckets back to my 30 gallon tank?

[redspot321]

Fish master, 330 should be fine. 30 gallon tank? how much are you changing at once?

I would just stick with buckets if your talking like 20%


Oh yea thanks jeffbrig for this idea.